Italian Stream

I've been playing with wax again.  This is an encaustic of a photo I took in Italy.  I love how the wax flowed and the painting transformed as I fused the layers together.

I think I will try painting flowers next with this medium.  So much fun.....

Italian Stream
Image Size 6" x 6"
Encaustic

Rocky Point

I've been missing my palette knife lately so I did this little painting.  The canvas was painted red first and once it was dry, I picked up my knife and really laid on the paint.  The texture of the paint shows really well in person but I'm not sure it's coming across well in this picture.  Also, the red really pops more in person.  I like having a bright color as my base in a painting and letting it peek through the finished painting.  I think it adds an extra bit of excitement.
I got the idea for this painting from a picture I took in Italy but I've changed it so much that it really doesn't even resemble the original photo.  I didn't start out planning to change it but as the painting progressed, it took on a life of its own.

Rocky Point
6" x 6"
Oil

Creek At Descanso

This is painted from an old photo I took during a trip to Descanso Gardens.  It's one of my favorite places in So Cal.  I thought this was finished but after seeing it in this photo, there are several things I can see that I need to work a bit more.   That's the nice thing about oils; areas can be covered over many times until I feel it's good.  That's a very freeing experience after working with the constraints of watercolor for so many years.

Creek At Descanso
Image size 6" x 6"
Oil

Costa Brava Cliffs I and II - Oil and Encaustic

I played around with some more encaustics this week.  I painted a seascape in the wax and then did the same scene in oil to see how different they would look.  Here's the oil painting:

And here is the encaustic:

So far, two people (who have seen them in person) have said that they like the oil painting better.  I think I like the encaustic better because it is more loose and wild looking and I like the brighter colors.  Also, it was really fun to paint which probably enters into the mix.  I also really like the shine on the wax after polishing it.   I must admit though, looking at them in person, sometimes I do like the oil better.

These are both small.  The oil is 6" x 6" and the encaustic is 6.5" x 6.5".  I'm anxious to try a larger painting in the encaustic but I should probably continue working small until I learn the medium better.

Costa Brava Cliffs I
Image Size 6" x 6"
Oil

Costa Brava Cliffs
Image Size 6.5" x 6.5"
Encaustic